What Does Exodus 18:12 Mean in the King James?
And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The offering does not end in what is given up; it opens into bread shared in God’s presence.
THE MEANING
The offering and the meal form one movement: what is brought before God leads into bread shared by the gathered people in God’s presence. The table itself belongs to the encounter with God.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It loosens the belief that offering something to God means only losing it: here, the offering opens into shared bread before God.
THE ROOT
עֹלָה
ʿōlāh
GROWS FROM
עלה
ʿ-l-h
to go up; to ascend
“burnt offering” in this verse is ʿōlāh. The offering’s Hebrew name carries the movement of ascent: what is placed on the altar goes up to God. Here that upward movement opens into a shared meal, so the offering and the table belong to one encounter.
ALSO GROWS
ʿālāh: to go up; ascend
עָלָה
This verb is the root of the offering’s name and makes its upward movement visible.
ʿăliyyāh: ascent; going up
עֲלִיָּה
This related noun preserves the same motion of rising that is carried in the offering’s name.
זְבָחִים
zevaḥim
GROWS FROM
זבח
z-b-ḥ
to slaughter, especially for sacrifice
The word for sacrifices keeps slaughter at its center, while its related altar name marks the place of that act. Here the sacrifice is followed by food shared among the gathered people before God, linking what is offered with those who share the table.
ALSO GROWS
mizbēaḥ: altar
מִזְבֵּחַ
The altar’s name comes from the same root as sacrifice, tying the place to the act of offering.
zōvēaḥ: one who sacrifices; one who slaughters
זֹבֵחַ
This related word names the person performing the act that stands behind the shared meal.
THE PATTERN
An offering brought before God can open into a meal shared in God’s presence.
And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?THE THREAD
Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?This verse names the relation implicit in Exodus 18:12: those who eat of the sacrifices share in the altar. The offering and the meal belong to one encounter before God, rather than standing as separate acts.
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